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What we offer our guests

PERSONAL SERVICE

Many guests comment about the unobtrusive care that we offer at Ammerdown: the freedom to do as you wish, in the knowledge that, if you have a query or if you need help, someone will always be at hand to assist you.

We have members of staff on duty throughout the day, and a member of staff on call during the night. We encourage all guests to come to our reception desk during the day if they have a query or a problem. If no-one is at the desk, a button on the side of the desk enables guests to alert the person on duty that someone is waiting at reception.

We also have a telephone handset in every bedroom. When 111 is dialled, this again connects to a member of staff. This is particularly useful at night time, as it will put the caller through to the member of staff who is on call. We stress, however, that the phones should only be used in cases of ememergency.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR QUIET TIME AND JOINT TIMES OF PRAYER

Ammerdown's exquisite chapel is a private chapel. It is open from early in the morning to late at night. In addition, a key is kept in the dining room for those rare occasions when guests would like to use the Chapel whenit is locked.

There is normally a short prayer service led by a member of the Ammerdown team at 9.00 a.m. and at 5.45 p.m. Monday to Friday morning, and at 6 p.m. on Friday evening. All guests are very welcome to attend.

If you are looking for written resources to help your personal reflection and prayer time, Ammerdown's library is a good place to visit. It holds many books of a spiritual nature which you are very welcome to borrow during your stay.

COMFORTABLE BEDROOMS

You will always have a bedroom for yourself unless you specifically ask to share with someone else.

All our bedrooms have desk and chair, a comfy chair, storage space for clothes and personal items, and a hospitality tray for making hot drinks.

We provide all the linen and towels. We assume that guests prefer a duvet, but can easily switch to blankets and sheets if this is requested.

Our en-suite bathrooms all have a shower. In addition, for guests who enjoy having a bath, we have two guests' bathrooms accessible to all.

TASTY FOOD FRESHLY COOKED ON THE PREMISES

Ammerdown has its own kitchen, and we cook daily for our guests. Our aim is to offer tasty and wholesome food that uses as much local fresh produce as possible.

Breakfast is a substantial continental breakfast which is offered on a 'help yourself' basis from 8am.

Lunch is served at 12.30 and is normally the most substantial meal of the day. There will always be a meat or fish dish and a vegetarian meal on offer, together with seasonal vegetables. This will be followed by a home-made pudding or, as a healthy alternative, fresh fruit or sorbet.

Supper is served at 6.30 p.m. There will often be a hot dish such as pasta, pizza or soups with home-made bread, together with a selection of salads that you can help yourself too. Again, a home-made pudding helps to complete the meal.

If given enough notice, the kitchen is normally able to cater for most special diets. A supplementary charge might, however, apply.

OPTION OF PEACE AND QUIET OR COMPANIONSHIP

At your first meal as a private guest, you will find that your place is at a separtae table in the dining room - by yourself, if you ahve come alone, or with the friends you have come with. This is because we know that many people who come to Ammerdown are very busy people who are looking for peace and quiet.

However, if you are on your own and would prefer not to eat on your own, please always feel free to approach the staff table and ask whether you could join them. If there is space, they will always be more than happy for you to join the team, as we love chatting to guests.

A RANGE OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Reading

We have already mentioned the library, which offers a wide range of books (mostly of a spiritual nature) as well as magazines and periodicals. A small selection of novels and other light-reading can also be found on the bookshelves in the TV room (just off the lounge).

Please note that, in the library, there is also a large black folder with information on the history of Ammerdown House – the stately home adjacent to the Ammerdown Centre.

Games/Jigsaws

You can find at the back of the TV room a selection of games (e.g. scrabble) as well as jigsaws. We also have a few toys for children.

TV

The TV in the TV room is for the use of all guests. We ask, however, that you please keep the noise down if you watch TV early in the morning or late at night, so as to respect the peace and quiet that makes Ammerdown so special.

DVDs/ Cinema

We have a selection of DVDs on site, which we can show on a big screen in our two largest conference rooms (John Todd and Trevett) - just like in a cinema! If you would like to watch a film, as long as one of the above conference rooms is free at the time, a member of staff on duty will be happy to set up the DVD for you.

FREE WIFI ACCESS/GUEST COMPUTER

There is free WiFi accss throughout the building. Again, we ask guests to be respectful of the peace and quiet of the place and to refrain from noisy computer-based activities such as watching a film or skyping after 10 pm and before 7am.

GORGEOUS GARDENS AND LOVELY WAKS

The gardens of Ammerdown House are well worth a visit. They are privately owned but its owners, the Joliffe family, kindly allow Ammerdown guests to wander around AS LONG AS they keep out of the areas earmarked ‘PRIVATE’. The gardens are quite extensive and include a large meadow with a lake at the bottom. The nearby woods also offer scope for nice easy walks.

There are also some lovely walks to do from Ammerdown, such as walking to the nearest village, Kilmersdon, home to the 'Jack and Jill Hill'.

We provide maps for two local walks that do not require any particular fitness. We also have two 1:50.000 Ordnance survey maps of the area for guests to borrow.

SWIMMING

The Jolliffe family owns a heated outdoor swimming pool located on the estate. The family kindly allows our guests to use the pool, entirely at their own risk and never unaccompanied, between 1.30pm and 3.00pm, from June to September.

OUTINGS FURTHER AFIELD

If you have transport, there are many places of interest not far from Ammerdown. – starting with the only Lavender Farm in Somerset and the excellent Museum in Radstock, both only two and an half miles away.

Packed lunches can be provided by our kitchen if requested in advance.